Mitt Romney’s parting gifts: “The Obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls, specifically the African American community, the Hispanic community and young people,” Mr. Romney said, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Washington Post)

From the 47% to ‘gifts’: Mitt Romney’s ugly vision of politics. (Washington Post)

Politico’s Arena asks: The Washington Post reports that Republicans appear to want Mitt Romney to disappear – and quickly. GOP members are clearly distancing themselves from comments Romney made this week, saying that President Obama won the election because of “gifts” he gave to minorities and young people. Is there any future for Mitt Romney as a leading figure in the Republican Party? Or does he need to quietly exit stage left before he does any additional damage? Brookings’ Darrell West responds.

AEI’s Andrew Biggs: Does government need to grow in order for the economy to grow? Data from around the world do show that as economies grow, government spending tends to rise even faster. But this isn’t to say that big government causes economies to grow: Another explanation is that countries with large economies are simply able to afford larger governments. Economists Andreas Bergh and Magnus Henrekson have documented that when we look specifically at developed countries, we find a negative relationship between government size and economic growth. (National Review)

Hoover Institution’s Kori Schake: Why military is held to higher personal standards. (Bloomberg)